Pages

Sunday, 18 September 2011

Every now and then I got through a very familiar pattern. I decided that I would like to buy something, usually expensive and nearly always an unnecessary luxury.

It always starts the same way, I tell myself that I don't really need the item in question. It's too expensive, I'd never use it or I've got nowhere to put it. Think about the environment, the best way to be green is to buy less!

But all of the time that I'm denying myself, I can't get the item out of my mind. I'm researching. What is the best option? Where can I get it for the best price? What are all the good uses I can put it to?

Then one day, after much angst, I snap and buy it!

I went through the above process for about three years before I bought my first car. It was only three months for a stand mixer.

All the kneading for project sourdoughreally made me want to get a mixer. Searching on the internet, reading baking forums etc.. The Electolux DLX seems to get the best reviews for kneading, but is only available in the US. The iconic KitchenAid is good, but expensive. Then I discovered that Kenwood sells re-conditioned or display units through authorised sellers on eBay and Amazon at great prices. From my research the Kenwood Chef is probably a better machine, but it felt a bit plastic-y when I had a play with one. The Kmix just looked a bit cooler.

So when I snapped, justifying to myself I was "getting a good deal", I bought a Kmix online from Germany via the UK Amazon site.

The box was a bit beaten up. I'm not sure how much this has to do with the fact it was an ex-display model or the slightly less than perfect packaging caused a bit of damage.

When you open the box the first thing to do is lift out a two layer polystyrene unit. The top layer contains a spatula and booklet of instructions (all languages) and recipes (in German).

Lifting the top layer of the polystyrene off you expose the whisk, k-beater, dough hook and splash guard. There is a small empty recess in the polystyrene (bottom left) which makes me think I might be missing something. But checking against the list of contents in the welcome booklet I appear to have everything.

The mixer itself has a simple and functional look. There is no real question they were going for the KitchenAid 'look'.

Secondary motor outlet on the mixer for a grinder, pasta roller etc...

5 comments:

It's does look cool. The other day I decided I wanted something similar but realised that I would never use it enough to justify the space it would take up in my nano-kitchen. Space was much better than the usual money argument!!